Chronology: Date 1954-0

date	event	tags	firsts
1954 26 Sep	The first native Greek to become a Bahá'í, Emmanuel Petrakis, enrolled in Crete.	Emmanuel Petrakis; Crete, Greece	first native Greek Bahá’í
1954 17 - 24 Sep	The first Italo-Swiss Joint Summer School was held September 17-24 in Bex les Bains in Switzerland, and was attended by as many as 75 friends. Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, Hand of the Cause, discussed the Ten-Year Crusade, and Prof. Zeine-Zeine of Beirut lectured on the Kitáb-i-Iqán. For these sessions all the friends were together. Smaller groups, by language, were formed for study of Bahá’í Administration. [Baha'i News Issue 286, December 1954 p4] For a photo see Bahá'í News Issue 291 May 1955 p14.		The first Italo-Swiss Joint Summer School
1954 6 Sep	The first people to become Bahá'ís in Bechuanaland (Lesotho), Chadwick and 'Maselai (Mary) Mohapi, enrolled. [BW17:449–52]	Lesotho, South Africa; - Africa; Bechuanaland	first Bahá’ís in Bechuanaland (Lesotho)
1954 Sep	Four people had become Bahá'ís in Zanzibar by this date.	Statistics; Zanzibar, Tanzania
1954 28 Aug	Mihribán Suhaylí (Mehraban Sohaili) arrived on the Comoro Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	Mihriban Suhayli (Mehraban Sohaili); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Comoros Islands
1954 7 Aug	Marcia Steward de Matamoros Atwater arrived in the Marshall Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	Marcia Atwater; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Marshall Islands
1954 15 Jul	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Macau, Harry P. F. Yim (Yim Pui Foung), a 45-year-old small business proprietor born in Canton, China, enrolled.	Harry P. F. Yim (Yim Pui Foung); Macau	first Bahá’í in Macau
1954 12 Jul	The first South African to become a Bahá'í enrolled in the Faith on this day. [That Promising Continent 20]	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Pretoria, South Africa; South Africa	first South African to become a Bahá'í
1954 12 Jul	Dudley Moore Blakely, an artist, sculptor and designer, and his wife, Elsa ('Judy'), British citizens living in Maine, arrived on Tongatapu and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Tonga Islands. [BW13:456] They shared the honour with Dr. Stanley Bolton. [BWNS286]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Tonga
1954 Second half of the year	The first Somali to become a Bahá'í in Djibouti, 'Alí 'Abdu'lláh, a 21-year old employee of a commercial firm, enrolled.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Djibouti, East Africa; Somalia; - Africa	first Somali Bahá’í
1954 5 Jul	Violet Hoehnke, an Australian, arrived in Papua New Guinea and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Admiralty Islands. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Papua New Guinea; Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
1954 Jul	Reginald Stone and Allan Delph became Bahá'ís in British Guiana, the first two people to accept the Faith in that country.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; British Guiana; Latin America	first Bahá'ís in British Guiana
1954 Jul	Dr John George Mitchell, an English physician who became a Bahá'í in 1950, arrived in Malta and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Malta
1954 Jul	José Marques arrived in Portuguese Timor and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Portuguese Timor; East Timor
1954 Jul c.	The first person to become a Bahá'í in Brunei, Daphne Hassan, enrolled.	Daphne Hassan; Brunei	first Bahá’í in Brunei
1954 24 Jun	Shápúr Rawhání and Ardishír Furúdí, Iranian residents of India, arrived in Bhutan by foot and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. They spent about two months in Bhutan. However, circumstances did not permit them to remain longer and they had to return to India. [BW13:449] They were accompanied to the Bhutan border by the prime minister of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji. In about 1961 Dr. Anayat Soroosh Yaganagi, a Bahá'í of Zoroastrian background from Bangalore pioneered to Bhutan. See the brief history of his family and the development of the Faith in the country in "Bahá'í Recollections" written by one of his daughters, Geeti Yaganegi.	Shapur Rawhani; Ardishir Furudi; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bhutan; India
1954 19 Jun	The first Canary Islander to become a Bahá'í, Sr. José Jacinto Castillo y Gonzalez, enrolled.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Canary Islands, Spain	first Canary Islander Bahá’í
1954 18 Jun	The first islander to become a Bahá'í in the Seychelles, Marshall Delcy, a local school teacher, enrolled.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Islands; Seychelles	first islander Bahá'í in Seychelles
1954 9 Jun	The passing of Alain LeRoy Locke (b. September 13, 1885, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.) in New York. He was laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC. Locke graduated from Harvard University and was the first African American to win a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship (1907). Despite his intellect and clear talent, Locke faced significant barriers as an African American. In spite of the fact that he had been selected as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, Locke was denied admission to several colleges at the University of Oxford because of his race. He finally gained entry into Hertford College, where he studied from 1907 to 1910. Locke also studied philosophy at the University of Berlin during his years abroad. He subsequently received a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard and taught at Howard University. Locke declared his belief in the Bahá'í Faith in 1918. He is thus among a list of some 40 known African Americans to join the religion during the ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In 1925 he published The New Negro: An Interpretation of Negro Life. It was an anthology showcasing African American artists and is generally considered a seminal moment in the founding of the Harlem Renaissance and he became known as the "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance" which sought to advance African Americans through race relations, the arts, and social thought, leaving behind European and white American styles and celebrating the black experience. See Alain Locke: Four Talks Redefining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship edited and introduced by Christoper Buck and Betty J Fisher in World Order Vol 38 No3 p21-41. [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia] [Uplifting Words; Wikipedia] See his article "Impressions of Haifa". [BW3p527-528] See also his article "The Orientation of Hope". [BW5p527-528] See Alain Locke: Bahá'í Philosopher by Christopher Buck. See Alain Locke: Faith & Philosophy by Christopher Buck See the review by Derik Smith in World Order Vol 38 No3 p42-48. See Bahá'í Chronicles. See Bahá'í Teachings. See Uplifting Words. The Bahá'í Faith and African American History: Creating Racial and Religious Diversity, Chapter 3: "Alain Locke on Race, Religion, and the Bahá'í Faith" by Christopher Buck. The US Postal Service issued a series of stamps entitles Great Literary Movement: The voices of the Harlem Renaissance Forever on 21 May 2020. Find a grave.	Alain Locke; In Memoriam; - Philosophy; Race amity; Race unity; Harlem Renaissance; African Americans; Philadelphia, PA; New York, USA	the first African-American Rhodes Scholar,
1954 Jun	Shawqí Riyád Rawhání (Shoghi Riaz Rouhani), an Iranian from Egypt, arrived in Las Palmas and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Canary Islands. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; Canary Islands, Spain
1954 Jun	Louise Groger arrived on Chiloé Island and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Chiloé Island, Chile
1954 Jun	Harold and Florence Fitzner arrived in Portuguese Timor and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	Harold Fitzner; Florence Fitzner; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Portuguese Timor; East Timor
1954 29 May	Haik (Haig) Kevorkian arrived in the Galápagos Islands and settled on the island of Santa Cruz. He was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. Haig had been present in Guayaquil as an itinerant pioneer-teacher in 1945 when the first local Assembly of that city was formed. He returned in 1954 to fill the virgin goal of the Galapagos. [BW13:452; Heroes of God: History of the Bahá'í Faith in Ecuador, 1940-1979 p24; 61] On March 8, 1955 on the island of Santa Cruz, Señor Moyses Mosquera Zevallos enrolled as the first believer of the Galapagos. He was a school teacher from the mainland of Ecuador working on the island. Later he was dismissed from his job and was forced to leave theGalapagos due to accusations made against him of immoral acts with some of his students in spite of the fact that the teaching space was such that his wife was constantly with him. He had been the victim of an attack by the parish priest[ibid p76] Haig returned to his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 1956. His family came from Turkey but he was born in Syria on October 1, 1916 and came to Argentina as a youth with his family. He married his fiancée Miss Aurora de Eyto on October 19, 1957. His wife reported that he had colds continuously after returning from the islands, and on August 3, 1970 Haig passed away at .the age of 54. [ibid p75]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Haig Kevorkian; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador; Ecuador
1954 26 May	Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Leroy Ioas returned the visit of President Ben Zvi by visiting him in Jerusalem. [GBF140; PP293–4]	Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Leroy Ioas; Ben Zvi; - Presidents; Jerusalem, Israel; Israel
1954 17 May	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Elise Lynelle (then Schreiber) in Bata, the capital of Rio Muni, Spanish Guinea, and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for a second time, this time for Spanish Guinea. [BW13:456; BWNS330]	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Bata, Equatorial Guinea; Spanish Guinea; Equatorial Guinea
1954 2 May	Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson, both Americans, arrived in French Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Togo; - Africa
1954 5 May	Sabrí and Fahima (Ra'isa) Elias, an Egyptian couple with four children, arrived in Djibouti and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for French Somaliland. [BW13:451]	Sabri Elias; Raissa Elias; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Somaliland; Djibouti, East Africa
1954 4 May	Elizabeth Stamp, an Irish-American widow from New York City, arrived in St Helena and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; St. Helena
1954 4 May	Shoghi Effendi closed the Roll of Honour, except for those pioneers who have already left for their posts and those first arriving in the remaining virgin territories inside and outside the Soviet Republics and satellites. [MBW69]	Roll of Honour; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre
1954 2 May	Cynthia R. Olson of Wilmington, Delaware, settled in Barrigada, the largest village in Guam, and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Mariana Islands. [BW13:454; BWNS303]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Barrigada, Guam; Guam; Mariana Islands; Oceania
1954 2 May	The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Mavis Nymon and Vivian Wesson in French Togoland (now called Togo). [BWNS329 ]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); French Togoland (Togo); Togo
1954 May	Elinore Putney arrived in the Aleutian Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Aleutian Islands, AK; Alaska, USA; USA; Russia
26 Apr	President of Israel Ben Zvi and his wife visit the Shrines on Mount Carmel, the first official visit paid by a head of a sovereign state to the Shrines of the Báb and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [GBF139–140; MBW68; PP2923]	Ben Zvi; - Presidents; Prominent visitors; Báb, Shrine of; Firsts, other; Haifa, Israel; Mount Carmel MERGE	first official visit head of a sovereign state to Shrine of the Báb
1954 Ridván	In Uganda, 2 years previous, there were no Bahá'ís. By this time there were over 700 Bahá'ís, with 24 Spiritual Assemblies. [That Promising Continent 18]	Statistics; Uganda
1954 21 Apr	Bruce Matthews arrived at Goose Bay and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Labrador. [BW13:453] See Bruce Matthews, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Goose Bay, Labrador by Lynn Wright and Susan Gammage.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Goose Bay, NL; Labrador, NL; Canada
1954 Ridván	The first local spiritual assembly in Algeria was formed in Algiers. [BWIM114]	Local Spiritual Assembly; Algiers, Algeria; Algeria	first Local Spiritual Assembly Algeria
1954 Ridván	The first local spiritual assembly was formed in in Usumbura (later Bujumbura, Burundi) and it composed entirely of Congolese. At that time the area was called Ruanda-Urundi. In 1962 Ruanda-Urundi became the two independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. [A Remarkable Response Film 26:55]	Local Spiritual Assembly; Bujumbura, Burundi; Burundi	first Local Spiritual Assembly Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi)
1954 Ridván	The first local spiritual assembly was formed in British Cameroons.	Local Spiritual Assembly; British Cameroon	first Local Spiritual Assembly British Cameroons
1954 Ridván	The first all African local spiritual assembly in Tanganyika was formed in Bukoba.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Bukoba, Tanzania; Tanganyika, Tanzania	first all African Local Spiritual Assembly in Tanganyika
1954 Ridván	The first local spiritual assembly in the Malay Peninsula was established in Seremban.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Seremban, Malaysia; British Malaya	first Local Spiritual Assembly Malay Peninsula
1954 Ridván	Adelaide Sharp, who had been in Iran since 1929, was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, the first woman elected to that body. [BFA2:361]	Adelaide Sharp; NSA; Firsts, other; Women; Iran	first woman elected NSA Iran
1954 Ridván	In his cablegram of October 8, 1952, Shoghi Effendi called upon all 15 "continental" Hands to appoint, during Ridván, 1954, five Auxiliary Boards, one on each continent, composed of nine members each to work as their deputies along with the National Assemblies to assist in the execution of the twelve teaching plans. [BW13p335, MBW44, 63]	Auxiliary board members and assistants; Assistants; Appointed arm
18 Apr	John and Valera Allen arrived in Swaziland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Swaziland
1954 13 Apr	David Tanyi, a tailor, arrived in French Togoland from British Cameroons and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Togoland (Togo); Togo
1954 12 Apr	Shoghi Effendi accepted the bid made by the firm of Enrico Pandolfini of Pietrasanta in Tuscany, Italy for the supply of the obelisk will mark the place of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Holy Land. After the delivery of the materials circumstances did not allow for the obelisk to be erected. The Universal House of Justice completed the project in August, 1971.	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Obelisks; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre; Pietrasanta; Tuscany, Italy; Italy
1954 11 Apr	Bula Mott Stewart arrived in Swaziland and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Swaziland
1954 9 Apr	Gayle Woolson and her companion, Rebecca Kaufman, arrived in the Galapagos Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452] [Heroes of God p59]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Galápagos Islands, Ecuador; Ecuador
1954 6 Apr	In his Ridván Message Shoghi Efffendi announced that: The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land has been selected--an area of approximately twenty thousand square meters--situated at the head of the Mountain of God, in close proximity to the Spot hallowed by the footsteps of Bahá'u'lláh, near the time-honoured Cave of Elijah, and associated with the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith on that mountain. Funds totalling one hundred thousand dollars have, moreover, been contributed by one of the Hands of the Cause, residing in the Holy Land, and negotiations have been initiated with the Israeli authorities for the purpose of effecting the immediate purchase of the selected site. (Hand of the Cause Milly Collins) [MBW63; DoH175] In another message about a year later he provided further details. [MBW78-79]	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; Funds; Amelia Collins; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel MERGE; Haifa, Israel	the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
1954 6 Apr	Shoghi Effendi announced that plans for the International Bahá'í Archives had been completed and that steps had been taken to begin its construction. [PP264BBD22–3; DH169; GBF117–8; MBW64]	International Bahá'í Archives; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel MERGE; Haifa, Israel
1954 6 Apr	Five Continental Bahá'í Funds were inaugurated by Shoghi Effendi. [MBW59, 63]	Funds; Funds, Continental; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; - Bahá'í World Centre
1954 6 Apr	Shoghi Effendi announced the creation of five Auxiliary Boards with the following number of members: Asia 7; America 9; Europe 9; Africa 9; Australia 2. [BW13p335; CBN No 53 June 1954 p6; MBW44, 58-60] Their function was to 'act as deputies of the Hands in their respective continents', to 'aid and advise them in the effective prosecution of the' and to assist them 'in the discharge of their dual and sacred task of safeguarding the Faith and of promoting its teaching activities'. [MBW63] See also BBD26; BBRSM127; MC3. These boards were mandated with the propagation of the Faith.	Auxiliary board members and assistants; Appointed arm; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Ten Year Crusade; Shoghi Effendi, Life of; Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; Funds, Continental; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; - Bahá'í World Centre
1954 Apr	Shoghi Effendi announced that there were Bahá'ís in 228 countries and that Bahá'í literature has been translated into 130 languages. [MBW61–2]	Statistics
1954 Apr	The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land was selected. [DH175; MBW63]	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Haifa; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Haifa, Israel	first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Holy Land
1954 Apr	Robert B. Powers, Jr., a member of the U.S. armed forces at the Navy Air Station, arrived in Guam and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Mariana Islands. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Guam; Mariana Islands
1954 Apr	John and Marjorie Kellberg of Oak Park, Illinois, arrived in the Dutch West Indies (Netherlands Antilles) and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Lesser Antilles
1954 Apr	Corporal Richard Walters and his wife, Evelyn, and Richard and Mary L. Suhm arrived in Tangier from the United States and were all named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Morocco (International Zone). BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Tangier; Morocco
1954 Apr	Howard Gilliland arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Labrador, NL
1954 Apr	Kay Zinky arrived in the Magdalen Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Magdalen Islands, QC
1954 Apr	Habíb Isfahání arrived in Dakar and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for French West Africa. [BW13:452]	Habib Isfahani; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Dakar; French West Africa
1954 Apr	Benedict Eballa arrived in Ashanti Protectorate (Now part of Ghana) and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449; BWNS249]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Ashanti Protectorate, Ghana; Ghana
1954 Apr	The arrival of Knight Martin Manga to Northern Territories Protectorate (now part of Ghana). [BWNS249; BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Northern Territories Protectorate; Ghana
1954 Apr	Edward Tabe, a youth from Cameroon, no older than fourteen, and Albert Buapiah from the Gold Coast arrived in British Togoland and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450; KoB78-79; BWNS249]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Edward Tabe; Albert Buapiah; British Togoland (Ghana); Ghana
1954 Apr	Mrs Mehrangiz Munsiff pioneered to the city of Douala in the French Cameroons (later Cameroon). Both she and Mr Samuel Njiki were honoured as Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for this territory. [Bahá'í Journal UK Vol 20, No 5 Jan/Feb 2004, BW13:451; BWNS249] For a photo see Bahá'í Media Bank.	Meherangiz Munsiff; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; French Cameroon; Cameroon; Douala	Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Cameroons
1954 Apr	Dr John Fozdar arrived in Brunei in April 1954 and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450] See Remembering Dr John Fozdar.	John Fozdar; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Brunei
1954 Apr	A mere eight months after settling in British Cameroons, Enoch Olinga, along with the community of new believers at his pioneering post received a cable from Shoghi Effendi asking for African believers to settle in British Togoland, French Togoland, the Ashanti Protectorate and in the Northern Territories Protectorate before the following Ridván. Although Bahá'ís for only a few months, their response was instantaneous; the largest difficulty arose in limiting themselves to the four names required to fulfill the designated posts. This was determined by a vote. David Tanyi, Edward Tabe, Benedict Eballa, and Martin Manga were duly selected. Samuel Nyki was sent to French Cameroon. Each one established a Local Spiritual Assembly in their assigned posts within two years. [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4; KoB71]	Pioneering; David Tanyi; Edward Tabe; Benedict Eballa; Martin Manga; Samuel Njiki (Samuel Nyki); Cameroon; British Togoland (Ghana); French Togoland (Togo); Ashanti Protectorate, Ghana; Northern Territories Protectorate
1954 Apr	The arrival of future Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, Mr. Enoch Olinga, in British Cameroon. [BWNS291]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Enoch Olinga; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); British Cameroon; - Africa
1954 Apr	Bahá'í women in Iran were accorded full rights to participate in membership of both national and local Bahá'í assemblies. [MBW65] This removed the 'last remaining obstacle to the enjoyment of complete equality of rights in the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Persian Bahá'í Community'. [MBW65]	National Spiritual Assembly; Local Spiritual Assembly; Women; Equality; Iran
1954 Apr	Suhráb Paymán, together with his five-year old-daughter Ghitty, arrived in San Marino from Tihrán to join his wife. He was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in April. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; San Marino, Italy
1954 25 Mar	Leland Jensen arrived on Réunion Island from the United States and ws named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455] He was later declared a Covenant-breaker.	Leland Jensen; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Covenant-breakers; Reunion Island; France
1954 25 Mar	The passing of Marion Jack (General Jack) (b. St. John, New Brunswick) at her pioneer post in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 87. She had been at her post since 1931. [BWNS385; Never be Afraid to Dare p. 227] Shoghi Effendi called her 'a shining example to pioneers of present and future generations of East and West'. [CF163] For her obituary see BW12:674–7. See also BFA2155; MC359. For a photo of her gravestone see CBNOct1972p.10. See Bahá'í Chronicles for a biography. For a photo by the Bahá'ís of Sofia see BW5p464. See also Marion Jack: Immortal Heroine by Jan Jasion See CBN October1979 for tributes as well as a photo of her gravesite.	Marion Jack; Pioneers; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Pioneers; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Sofia, Bulgaria; Bulgaria
1954 21 Mar	Shoghi Effendi announced that there were Bahá'ís in 219 countries. [MBW57]	Statistics
1954 19 Mar	Paul Haney was appointed Hand of the Cause of God following the death of Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker. [GBF111; MBW57]	Paul Haney; Dorothy Baker; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Appointments
1954 Mar	Olivia Kelsey and Florence Ullrich (later Ullrich-Kelley), a young college graduate, and Olivia Kelsey, an accomplished Bahá'í author and poet, arrived in Monaco from the United States and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454; Collins 4.6 and 7.1359] A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO] See Bahá'í Chronicles for the story of the life of Florence Maria Ullrich Kelley (b. November 3, 1932 d. February 17, 2016)	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Monaco
1954 4 Mar	The arrival of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Elena (Marsella) and Roy Fernie in Kiribati (Gilbert Islands). They had come from the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama. [BWNS301, BW13:452] They had left their home in Panama and their service on the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama to pioneer. They arrived on the island of Abaiang (aka Charlotte Island, of the Gilbert Islands), on March 4, 1954 and for this service they were named Knights of Baha'u'llah. About the first of June 1954, former Catholic seminarian and mission teacher Peter Kanere Koru became the first convert on the island. Their teaching work brought opposition from the Roman Catholic priest who told his congregation not to attend the Bahá'í meetings. He began to criticize them in the Roman Catholic newsletter and actually contributed to the knowledge of the Faith because the newsletter had a wide distribution. The priest persisted in his opposition by informing his bishop who asked the government to send the Fernies away and to send Peter Kanere, a native Bahá'í, back to his native island of Tabiteuea. At the time, to be a registered religious organization required a membership of at least 100 believers so the government-approved sending the Fernies away however, in a single night some 300 people registered. A certificate of registration was issued on the 24th of September, 1955, but not before they managed to exile Roy Fernie. Elena continued the teaching work on her own and was responsible for firmly establishing the Faith on Abaiang. Meanwhile, Peter Kanere, back on his home island, managed to teach a Protestant minister who was under discipline of his church at the time. Together they spread the Faith on Tabiteuea. [Island Churches: Challenge and Change by Makisi Finau page 101] For more details on the life of Roy Fernie see Bahaipedia. See also The Origins of the Bahá'í Faith in the Pacific Islands: The Case of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands by Graham Hassall. And Bahá'í Faith in the Asia Pacific: Issues and Prospects also by Graham Hassall. Elena Maria Marsella published The Quest for Eden in 1966.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; First Bahá'ís by country or area; Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tabiteuea; Kiribati; Gilbert and Ellice Islands	first Bahá'í on Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)
1954 Mar	Qudratu'lláh Rawhání and Khudárahm Muzhgání arrived in Mahé and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mahé, India
1954 1 Mar	Shirin Fozdar visited Cambodia to receive the first medallion and Certificate of Satrei Vatthana (Champion of Women) from His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk. She was the first Bahá'í to enter the country. She was not able to teach the Faith openly but she did speak about it to the king's parents.	Shirin Fozdar; King Norodom Sihanouk; Cambodia	first medallion and Certificate of Satrei Vatthana (Champion of Women) recipient; first Bahá’í in Cambodia
1954 1 Mar	Alvin J. Blum and his wife, Gertrude (née Gewertz), arrived in Honiara and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for the Solomon Islands. They were accompanied by their eight-year-old daughter Keithie. [BW13:456; BWNS291]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Solomon Islands
1954 Mar	Greta Jankko arrived in the Marquesas Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454]	Greta Jankko; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
1954 spring	The Síyáh-Chál and some surrounding property was acquired by the Bahá'ís. [BW12:64–5; SE153; SS45] The purchase cost was $400,000 which was contributed by a Persian believer Habib Sabet. [BW12:65; CBN No 53 June 1954 Insert p2] iiiii	Siyah Chal (Black Pit); Purchases and exchanges; Tehran, Iran; Iran
1954 21 Feb	Charles ('Chuck') and Mary Dayton from the United States, settled in Charlotte Amalie, on St Thomas, and wre named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; St. Thomas Island; Leeward Islands
1954 Feb	Shirin Fozdar arrived in Saigon, the first pioneer to Vietnam. In June 1954, her daughter-in-law, Parvati Fozdar (wife of Jamshed Fozdar's) and their young son, Vilay, came to Saigon from the United States to help Ms. Shirin Fozdar. Jamshed Fozdar arrived on July 18, 1954. A month later. In August Ms. Shirin Fozdar returned to New Zealand. Mr. Jamshed Fozdar found employment and the family lived for a long time in a small apartment at 88 Le Loi Street (the old Bonard). Pham Huu Chu was the first person to accept the Bahá'í Faith in Vietnam. [Bahá'í Religion in Community Education in Vietnam by Vu Van Chung]	Shirin Fozdar; Pioneer; Saigon, Vietnam; Vietnam	first pioneer to Vietnam. first person to become a beliver in Viet Nam
1954 15 Feb	Charles Duncan (a musician and composer) and Harry Clark, both Americans, arrived in Brunei from Kota Kinabalu (Jesselton) in Sabah, where they had been waiting for several weeks, and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451; PH63] Later he pioneered to Thailand where he learned the language. See Servants of the Glory page 19	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Charles Duncan; Harry Clark; Brunei; Thailand
1954 Feb	Husayn Halabi arrived in Hadhramaut and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Hadhramaut; Yemen
1954 Feb	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle) arrived on St Thomas Island and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	Elise Schreiber (later Lynelle); - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Sao Tome and Principe
1954 10 Feb	John Leonard arrived in the Falkland Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:451]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Falkland Islands
1954 Feb	Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Irán Muhájir arrived the Mentawai Islands and received the accolade "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh".[BS13p454]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Hands of the Cause; Mentawai Islands; Indonesia
1954 Feb	Faríburz Rúzbihyán (Feriborz Roozbehyan) arrived in The Gambia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:452]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Gambia, The
1954 Feb	David Schreiber, an American, arrived in Antigua and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Leeward Islands. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Antigua; Leeward Islands
1954 Feb	John and Audrey Robarts and their son Patrick and young daughter Tina arrived in Mafikeng and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Bechuanaland (Botswana). [BW13:449]	John Robarts; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mafikeng, Botswana; Botswana
1954 Feb	Gail Avery arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Baranof Island, AK
1954 Feb	Bernard H. Guhrke arrived on the Kodiak Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Kodiak Islands, AK
1954 Feb	Joan Powis arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Southern Rhodesia; Zimbabwe
1954 Feb	'Azízu'lláh and Shamsí Navídí with their daughters Vida and Giuilda arrived in Monaco and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455] A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Monaco
1954 Feb	Rahmatu'lláh and Írán Muhájir arrived in Mentawai Islands and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:454] For the story of their pioneering activity see Muhájir, Dr Muhajir, Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh.	Rahmatullah Muhajir; Iran Muhajir; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Mentawai Islands; Indonesia
1954 Feb	Grace Bahovec arrived in the Baranof Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Baranof Island, AK
1954 25 Jan	Stanley P. Bolton, Jr. arrived in Nuku'alofa, on Tongatapu Island, from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Tonga Islands. [BW13:456, BWNS286]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tonga
1954 18 Jan	Mrs Dulcie Burns Dive arrived in the Cook Islands from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450, 925]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Cook Islands
1954 15 Jan	'Abdu'l-Rahmán Zarqání, from India, arrived in the Seychelles and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Seychelles; - Africa; India
1954 14 Jan	Lilian E. Wyss arrived in Apia from Australia and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Samoa Islands. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Apia, Samoa; Samoa
1954 Jan	John and Audrey Robarts with their two younger children, Patrick and Tina, left Toronto for their pioneer post in Mafeking (later Mafikeng), Buchuanaland (later Botswana and formerly Bophuthatswana). Older children Aldham and Gerald pioneered to Nigeria and a homefront post respectively. [LOF485-6; CBN No48 January 1954 p11] Later the same year he was appointed to the newly established Auxiliary Board by Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání. They returned to Canada some 13 years later. [LOF486, 491]	John Robarts; Auxiliary board members and assistants; Canada; Botswana; Nigeria; - Africa
1954 10 Jan	Dorothy Baker, (b. Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey, USA 21 December, 1898) Hand of the Cause of God, was killed in a plane crash in the Mediterranean Sea, near the island of Elba. BOAC Flight 781 departed Rome, Italy on a flight to London, England. While climbing through 27,000 feet, the plane experienced a sudden in-flight break-up and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea near the Island of Elba. All 35 passengers and crew on board were killed. Following this accident, the Comet fleet was taken from service and subjected to numerous modifications in areas believed to have been the origin of the yet-unknown failure. The fleet was returned to service in late March 1954. [BW12:670; FAA Website] In 1921 she married Frank Baker who had two motherless children. They had a girl and a boy of their own. [FMH73] She was the granddaughter of Ellen "Mother" Beecher who took her to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York in 1912. An early teacher (unnamed), after seeing the young girl, had a vision and asked Jináb-i-Fazil for an explanation. He replied that "someday she will become on of the great teachers of the Cause" and Mother Beecher began to pray that this would be fulfilled. [FMH73] See FMH76-77 for the story of how Doris McKay was able to help Dorothy deal with her depression in 1929. For the Guardian's cable see BW12:670, CF161. Shoghi Effendi had appointed her among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii] For her obituary see BW12:670–4. See also Freeman, From Copper To Gold. See TG229 for a short story about her and a comment from her on the Long Obligatory Prayer. See Remembering Dorthy Baker at Bahá'í Blog. See Bahá'í Chronicles. See article in the Canadian Bahá'í News No 46 February 1954 p1. Find a grave.	Dorothy Baker; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; In Memoriam; Hands of the Cause, First Contingent; Mediterranean Sea; Elba, Italy; Italy
1954 Jan	Andrew and Mina Matthisen arrived in the Bahamas and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Bahamas; Caribbean
1954 Jan	Kenneth and Roberta Christian arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	Kenneth Christian; Roberta Christian; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Southern Rhodesia; Zimbabwe
1954 Jan	Virginia Breaks arrived on the island of Truk and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Caroline Islands. [BW13:450; MBW57]	Virginia Breaks; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Truk, Caroline Islands; Caroline Islands
1954 Jan	Elizabeth Bevan (later Mrs Golmohammed) arrived in Rhodes and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Rhodes
1954 Jan	Munír Vakíl, a former general in the Iraqi army, settled on one of the Kuria-Muria Islands in the Arabian Sea and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:453] For the story of the hardships of his pioneering post see ZK99–101.	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Khuriya Muriya Islands, Oman; Oman
1954 Jan	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani, in the Seychelles. [BWNS272]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Seychelles; - Africa
1954 3 Jan	The passing of Helen "Nellie" Stevison French (b.19 Oct 1868 Peoria, Illinois) in Monaco. She was buried in the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago. In September 1953 Nellie French, 85, became the first Bahá'í to arrive in Monaco, but she passed away a few months later. For her act of service in bringing the Faith to the country, she received the accolade Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. A celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the Principality was held on 24-25 April 2004 at the Theatre des Varietes in Monte Carlo, and opened with the reading of a welcoming message from the National Council of the Principality. [Newspaper Archive on BLO] Evincing a marked talent for singing, Nellie left in 1888 for Naples, Italy, to develop that interest. The four-year residence abroad gave her the opportunity to learn the French and Italian languages, to acquire an appreciation of the Latin fine arts, and to master a strenuous course in training for the operatic stage. She suffered a case of typhoid fever in 1892 and returned to the United States to recuperate; but her recovery was followed by scarlet fever which impaired her vocal chords irreparably. Her aspirations for a musical career were ended. In 1894 she married Stuart Whitney French, a childhood companion. About 1896, accompanied by her mother, she attended a few meetings at the home of Dr. Khayru'lláh. The spiritual seeds were sown. Moving to Arizona in 1900, Nellie French lived in Bisbee until 1904 and in Douglas until 1917. Her visits to Chicago and New York furnished a few Bahá'í contacts with meager information; the Bahá'í messages. Mrs. Isabella Brittingham went to Arizona in 1917 to teach the spiritual significance of the Bahá'í Faith offered Nellie a rare privilege. That experience confirmed Nellie who became the first resident Bahá'í teacher in Arizona. Mr. and Mrs. French moved to Pasadena in 1918. During Riḍván, in April, 1921, Mr. and Mrs. French visited Haifa and 'Akká; that pilgrimage became the fulfillment of all her hopes. She contributed to the literature of the Faith by her work from 1930 to 1946 as Chairman of the Bahá'í World Editorial Committee, during which time she assembled material for volumes IV—X. She translated into French and Italian the "Blue Book" and the brochure "Number 9," and for several years she wrote "Loom of Reality," a column published in the Pasadena Star-News. In 1931 she made permanent Braille plates for Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and for the Kitdb-i-iqan. She served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada 1929 - 1938. As an administrator, she served as Chairman of the Pasadena Spiritual Assembly from 1928 to 1938. For four years, ending in 1944 she was Chairman of the InterAmerica Committee, and in this capacity she presided at a session of the Centenary Celebration in 1944. Later she was a member of the European Teaching Committee. She helped support the work of the International Bureau at Geneva and the All-Indian project at Macy, Nebraska, undertaken by her sister-in-law, Mary Farley Stevison. In April, 1952, thirty-one years to the day, Nellie French returned Mt. Carmel to meet the beloved Guardian in person. During the Holy Year which was also the first year of the World Spiritual Crusade, Nellie French settled in the principality of Monaco to win the accolade, "Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW12p700] Find a grave.	Nellie French; In Memoriam; Knight of Bahá'u'lláh; Peoria, IL; USA; Monaco
1954 3 Jan	Howard and Joanne Menking arrived in the Cape Verde Islands and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Cape Verde
1954 Jan	Charles M. Ioas arrived in the Balearic Islands and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:449]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Balearic Islands, Spain
1954 Jan	Jean Sevin arrived in Tuamotu Archipelago and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:457]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
1954 Jan	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Dulcie Dive in the Cook Islands. [BWNS265]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Islands; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Cook Islands
1954 or 1955	"The sacred dust of the Báb's infant son, extolled in the Qayyum-i-Asma, was respectfully and ceremoniously transferred on the anniversary of his Father's martyrdom, in the presence of pilgrims and resident believers to the Bahá'í cemetery in Shiraz, the prelude to the translation to the same spot of the remains of the Báb's beloved and long-suffering consort." [CBN No 65 June, 1955 p1] The timing of the event is unclear. From the article, "the second year, second decade of the second century", it can be assumed that it took place on July 9th, 1955, however, the publication date was June, 1955.	Ahmad (son of the Báb); Shíráz, Iran; Iran
1954 (In the year)	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Ted Cardell in South West Africa (now called Namibia). [BWNS280]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Namibia; z11
1954 (In the year)	The arrival of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Violet Noehnke on the Admiralty Islands, now Manus Province in Papua New Guinea. [BWNS307, BWNS312]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
1954 (In the year)	The arrival in Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia) of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh Izzat'u'llah Zahrai, Douglas Kadenhe, Nura Faridian (now Steiner), Enayat and Iran Sohaili, Shidan Fat'he-Aazam (later member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa) and his wife Florence. [BWNS275]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Zimbabwe; - Africa
1954 (In the year)	Mehraban Isfandiar Sohaili arrived on Mayotte and stayed for two months, the first Bahá'í to visit the island.	Mihriban Suhayli (Mehraban Sohaili); Mayotte	first Bahá’í to visit Mayotte
1954 (In the year)	Khodadad Irani settled in Zanzibar, the first Bahá'í to do so.	Khodadad Irani; Zanzibar, Tanzania	first Bahá’í pioneer in Zanzibar
1954 (In the year)	José Mingorance Fernandez and his wife, Carmen Tost, a Spanish couple, accepted the Bahá'í Faith; they were the first to enrol in Andorra.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Andorra	first Bahá’ís in Andorra
1954 (In the year)	Mr and Mrs Sandikonda, Eliam Chisengalumbwe, Mr Musonda, Peter Chitindi and Elias Kanayenda became Bahá'ís, the first African Bahá'ís to enrol in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). BANANI BULLETIN, 1 AUG 1954]	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Zambia	first African Bahá’ís in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
1954 (In the year)	'Aynu'd-Dín and Táhirih 'Alá'í arrived in Southern Rhodesia and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:456]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Zimbabwe
1954 (In the year)	The first person to become a Bahá'í in the Balearic Islands, C. Miguel, enrolled.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Islands; Balearic Islands, Spain	first Bahá’í in Balearic Islands
1954 (In the year)	The first Tlinget from Alaska to become a Bahá'í, Eugene King, enrolled.	First Bahá'ís by country or area; Alaska, USA; USA	first Tlinget Bahá'í
1954 (In the year)	The first native Fijian, the first Pygmy, the first Berber and the first Greenlander to accept the Bahá'í Faith enrolled. [MBW262]	First Bahá'ís by country or area; First believers by background	first native Fijian; first Pygmy; first Berber; first Greenlander
1954 (In the year)	The purchase of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Istanbul was concluded. [SS38]	House of Bahá'u'lláh (Istanbul); Purchases and exchanges; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
Try also a shorter date like or 1954 or 195 try also the Chronology Canada — 1954-0 or 1954 or 195

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